Shingles are used to cover roofs and walls of houses and other buildings. Shingles typically offer protection from rain, snow and other adverse weather conditions. Due to wear and tear, shingles need replacement from time to time. In order to replace existing shingles with new shingles, the existing shingles are usually first removed and the new shingles are installed thereafter. Removing existing shingles can be a labor and time consuming task, especially as shingles are typically firmly attached, for example, through nails, staples or other means that prevent easy removal of the shingles. The task of removing shingles is often made further challenging because the shingles are in hard to reach places, at considerable elevation, and on surfaces that are slanted at various angels, including vertical surfaces. Thus, removing shingles often requires considerable force and must be accomplished under difficult working conditions.
A tool that is powered and easy to operate would greatly facilitate the task of removing shingles. Such a tool would be particularly useful if it was light in weight and easy to maneuver as the tool may be used under difficult working conditions and may be operated with one hand. Also, a useful shingle removal tool is preferably capable of generating the force necessary to remove shingles and other materials like nails, staples, or other fastening devices. The force needed for removing shingles and other materials is preferably generated without exposing the tool operator to significant forces and without requiring that the operator apply significant force to the tool, thus making the removal process less demanding for the operator and also avoiding unnecessary risks to the operator while working on a slanted surface. A desirable shingle removal tool should also be able to remove shingles and other materials without exerting significant forces on the surface from which the shingles are removed. Shingled surfaces are typically made of materials like wood that cannot withstand high pressure or stress while remaining undamaged.
A shingle removal tool that better satisfies these criteria would be highly desirable. The present invention provides such tools.